earth was actually perfect in human organism (1 Pet. 1:18, 19) and that he maintained his perfection by continuing to retain and strengthen his integrity under test. This was in accord with God’s purpose to make the Chief Agent of salvation “perfect through sufferings.” (Heb. 2:10) That is, Jesus was perfected as to obedience and integrity-keeping and was perfected for his position as God’s High Priest of salvation, as Paul shows at Hebrews 5:7-10. Finishing his earthly course free from flaw in any sense of the word, Jesus was acknowledged by God as justified. He was thus the only man who, through test, stood firmly and positively just, or righteous before God on his own merit. By this “one act of justification [form of di·kaiʹo·ma],” that is, by Jesus’ proving himself perfectly righteous through his entire flawless course, including his sacrifice, he provided the basis for declaring righteous those persons having faith in Christ.—Rom. 5:17-19; 3:25, 26; 4:25.

IN THE CHRISTIAN CONGREGATION

With the coming of God’s Son as the promised Redeemer, a new factor existed upon which God could base his dealings with his human servants. The followers of Jesus Christ who are called to be his spiritual brothers, with the prospect of being joint heirs with him in the heavenly kingdom (Rom. 8:17), are first declared righteous by God on the basis of their faith in Jesus Christ. (Rom. 3:24, 28) This is a judicial act of Jehovah God; therefore before him as the Supreme Judge no one can “file accusation” against his chosen ones. (Rom. 8:33, 34) Why does God take this action toward them?

First, it is because Jehovah is perfect and holy (Isa. 6:3); hence, in harmony with his holiness, those whom he accepts as his sons must be perfect. (Deut. 32:4, 5) Jesus Christ, God’s chief Son, showed himself perfect, “loyal, guileless, undefiled, separated from the sinners.” (Heb. 7:26) His followers, however, are taken from among the sons of Adam, who, because of sin, fathered an imperfect, sinful family. (Rom. 5:12; 1 Cor. 15:22) Thus, as John 1:12, 13 shows, Jesus’ followers were not, to begin with, sons of God. By his undeserved kindness, Jehovah God arranged a process of “adoption” through which he accepts such favored ones and brings them into a spiritual relationship as part of his family of sons. (Rom. 8:15, 16; 1 John 3:1) Consequently, God lays the basis for their entry into or their adoption to sonship by declaring them righteous through the merit of Christ’s ransom sacrifice in which they exercise faith, acquitting them of all guilt due to sin. (Rom. 5:1, 2, 8-11; compare John 1:12.) They are, therefore, “counted” or “credited” as being completely righteous persons, all their sins being forgiven and not charged up against them.—Rom. 4:6-8; 8:1, 2; Heb. 10:12, 14.

This declaring of such Christians righteous, therefore, goes much farther than in the case of Abraham and others, previously discussed. The Scriptural record makes clear that prior to Christ’s coming no such sonship nor such a heavenly hope had been opened up to men.—John 1:12, 17, 18; 2 Tim. 1:10; 1 Pet. 1:3; 1 John 3:1.

It can be seen that, though enjoying the status of righteous persons before God, these Christians do not possess actual or literal perfection in the flesh. (1 John 1:8; 2:1) In view of the prospect of heavenly life for these followers of Christ, such literal perfection in fleshly organism now is not actually needed. (1 Cor. 15:42-44, 50; Heb. 3:1; 1 Pet. 1:3, 4) However, by their being declared righteous, having righteousness “counted” or “credited” to them, God’s requirements of justice are satisfied and he brings the adopted ones into the “new covenant” validated by the blood of Jesus Christ. (Luke 22:20; Matt. 26:28) These adopted spiritual sons in the new covenant that is made with spiritual Israel are ‘baptized into Christ,’ eventually dying a death like his.—Rom. 6:3-5; Phil. 3:10, 11.

Although Jehovah does not take into account against them their sins of fleshly weakness and imperfection, nevertheless, a conflict exists in these Christians, as illustrated in Paul’s letter to the Romans (7:21-25). It is between the law of their renewed mind (Rom. 12:2; Eph. 4:23), or “God’s law,” and “sin’s law” that is in their members. This is because their fleshly bodies are not perfected, even though they are “counted righteous” and their sins are forgiven. This conflict contributes to the test of their integrity toward God. They can win this conflict by the help of God’s spirit and the assistance of their merciful High Priest, Christ Jesus. (Rom. 7:25; Heb. 2:17, 18) To win, however, they must constantly exercise faith in Christ’s ransom sacrifice and follow him, thus maintaining their righteousness in God’s eyes. (Compare Revelation 22:11.) Thereby they ‘make their calling and choosing sure’ for themselves. (2 Pet. 1:10; Rom. 5:1, 9; 8:23-34; Titus 3:6, 7) If, on the other hand, they take up the practice of sin, falling away from the faith, they lose their favored standing before God as righteous persons because they “impale the Son of God afresh for themselves and expose him to public shame.” (Heb. 6:4-8) Such ones face destruction. (Heb. 10:26-31, 38, 39) Thus, Jesus spoke of the sin that has no forgiveness, and the apostle John distinguished between the sin that “does not incur death” and the sin that “does incur death.”—Matt. 12:31, 32; 1 John 5:16, 17.

Jesus Christ, after his faithful course until death, was “made alive in the spirit,” given immortality and incorruption. (1 Pet. 3:18; 1 Cor. 15:42, 45; 1 Tim. 6:16) He was thus “declared [or pronounced] righteous in spirit” (1 Tim. 3:16; Rom. 1:2-4) and sat down at the right hand of God in the heavens. (Heb. 8:1; Phil. 2:9-11) The faithful footstep followers of Christ await a resurrection like his (Rom. 6:5), looking forward to becoming recipients of “divine nature.”—2 Pet. 1:4.

OTHER RIGHTEOUS ONES

In one of Jesus’ illustrations or parables relating to the time of his coming in Kingdom glory persons likened to “sheep” are designated as “righteous ones,” blessed by God and invited to inherit the kingdom prepared for them. They are rewarded with everlasting life. (Matt. 25:31-46) It is notable, however, that in this illustration these “righteous ones” are presented as separate and distinct from those whom Christ calls “my brothers.” (Vss. 34, 37, 40, 46; compare Hebrews 2:10, 11.) The texts themselves indicate that the righteousness of these sheeplike ones accrues to them from their showing faith in Christ, not merely calling him “Lord,” but also demonstrating that faith by rendering assistance to Christ’s spiritual “brothers.”—Compare John 10:16.

A parallel situation may be noted in the vision recorded at Revelation 7:3-17. Here, a “great crowd” of indefinite number, having a favorable position before God’s throne by virtue of having “washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb,” are shown as distinct from the 144,000 ‘sealed ones.’ (Compare Ephesians 1:13, 14; 2 Corinthians 5:1.) The ‘sealed ones’ are elsewhere represented as those “bought from among mankind, as a first fruits to God and to the Lamb” and are depicted as with the Lamb Jesus Christ in heaven. (Rev. 14:1-4; compare Hebrews 12:22, 23.) As regards the unnumbered “great crowd” of mankind certain expressions applied to them correspond exactly with those used at Revelation 21:1-4. There mankind is described as receiving blessings resulting from the descent of the New Jerusalem from heaven, the “tent of God” then being with mankind. (Compare Revelation 7:15-17 with 21:3, 4.) This picture harmonizes well with Paul’s statement concerning the expectant “creation” awaiting the “revealing of the sons of God” in order that they too may be “set free from enslavement to corruption and have the glorious freedom of the children of God.”—Rom. 8:18-23.

GOD PROVED RIGHTEOUS IN ALL HIS ACTS

It can be seen that in his dealings with imperfect humans, as described above, God never violates his own standards of righteousness and justice. He does not declare sinful persons righteous on their own merit, thereby overlooking or condoning sin. (Ps. 143:1, 2) As the apostle Paul explains: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and it is as a free gift that they are being declared righteous by his undeserved kindness through the release by the ransom paid by Christ Jesus. God set him forth as an offering for propitiation through faith in his blood. This was in order to exhibit his own righteousness, because he was forgiving the sins that occurred in the past while God was exercising forbearance; so as to exhibit his own righteousness in this present season, that he might be righteous even when declaring righteous the man that has faith in Jesus.” (Rom. 3:23-26) Thus God, through undeserved kindness, has provided a legal arrangement on the basis of Christ’s sacrifice by which he can be completely just and righteous in forgiving the sins of those exercising faith.

ATTEMPTS AT PROVING ONESELF RIGHTEOUS

Since God alone can declare a man righteous, attempts to prove oneself righteous on the basis of one’s own merit, or by acceptance of the judgment of others as to one’s righteousness, are of no value. Job was reproved because, though not charging God with any wrong, he gave attention to “declaring his own soul righteous rather than God.” (Job 32:1, 2) The man versed in the Law who questioned Jesus about the way to everlasting life was indirectly reproved by Jesus for his attempt to prove himself righteous. (Luke 10:25-37) Jesus condemned the Pharisees for seeking to declare themselves righteous before men. (Luke 16:15) The apostle Paul, in particular, showed that, due to all men’s imperfect, sinful state, none could be declared righteous through trying to establish their own righteousness by works of the Mosaic law. (Rom. 3:19-24; Gal. 3:10-12) Instead, he stressed faith in Christ Jesus as the true basis for such declaration of righteousness. (Rom. 10:3, 4) The inspired letter of James complements Paul’s statement by showing that such faith must be made to live, not by works of Law, but by works of faith, as in the cases of Abraham and Rahab.—Jas. 2:24, 26.

Certain men, falsely claiming to be apostles, unjustly challenged the apostleship and Christian works of Paul, seeking thereby to draw away the Corinthian congregation to themselves. (2 Cor. 11:12, 13) Paul, knowing that he was faithfully carrying out a stewardship for Christ, stated that he was not concerned with the judgment of men, who, wholly unauthorized, sat in effect as a “human tribunal” to judge him. He did not even rely on his own judgment of himself, but looked to Jehovah as his Examiner. (1 Cor. 4:1-4) Thus the principle is set forth that reliance cannot be put in the judgment of men as to one’s righteousness or lack of it, unless their judgment is backed up by God’s Word. The person must look into God’s Word and let it examine him. (Heb. 4:12) Where the backing of God’s Word is evident, one being reproved by a Christian brother, especially by one having authority to reprove, would not properly turn aside such reproof by trying to prove himself righteous. (Prov. 12:1; Heb. 12:11; 13:17) And anyone in a position of responsibility who sits in judgment of a matter or a dispute would be condemned by God if he pronounced “the wicked one righteous in consideration of a bribe.”—Isa. 5:23; Jas. 2:8, 9.

DEDAN

(Deʹdan).

1. A Cushite in the line of Raamah. (Gen. 10:7; 1 Chron. 1:9) His posterity apparently settled part of SW Arabia.

2. A descendant of Abraham through Jokshan. (Gen. 25:3; 1 Chron. 1:32) The Dedanites descending from Jokshan apparently settled S and SE of Palestine in the same general vicinity to which Abraham sent all his offspring through Keturah.—Gen. 25:6

Since both families of Dedanites (those of Raamah and of Jokshan) evidently settled in sections of Arabia, there is some question as to which Dedan is meant when the name occurs in later Biblical writings. However, the connection that is sometimes made with other Semitic peoples such as Edom, Tema and Buz, indicates Dedan through Jokshan. For example, Dedan is listed as at one extremity of Edom, whose land was due to be ravaged. (Ezek. 25:13) Dedan, in “the desert plain,” is also told to flee before the invading forces. The Dedanite caravans are to seek quarters in the woods, while Tema, through whose territory they apparently make their flight, is called on to provide food and drink for the fugitives’ sustenance. (Isa. 21:11-15; Jer. 49:8) Like Edom, Dedan would also ultimately be forced to taste of the cup of the wine of Jehovah’s rage.—Jer. 25:15, 21, 23.

Authorities often link Dedan with the ruins of Daiden, situated on the northern edge of el-Ula, about ninety miles (144.8 kilometers) SW of Teima.

Other references to Dedan give no indications as to whether a Hamitic or a Semitic people is meant. For instance, Dedan is named at Ezekiel 27:15, 20 as a trader with Tyre. Dedan also views with selfish interest the planned plundering of God’s people by Gog of Magog.—Ezek. 38:13.

DEDICATION

The Hebrew word neʹzer meant the sign or symbol of holy dedication worn as a crown upon the sanctified head of a high priest, or on the head of an anointed king; it also meant one with a Nazirite vow.

At Aaron’s installation as high priest, a turban made of fine linen was placed on his head. Fastened with a string of blue thread on the front of this turban for all to see was “the holy sign of dedication [neʹzer],” a shining plate of pure gold engraved as a seal with the words, “Holiness belongs to Jehovah.” The holy anointing oil was next poured upon the high priest in the installation ceremony. (Ex. 29:6, 7; 39:30, 31; Lev. 8:9, 12) Consistently the high priest had to be careful to avoid doing anything that would profane the sanctuary, “because the sign of dedication, the anointing oil of his God, is upon him.”—Lev. 21:12.

Similarly, the word neʹzer had reference to the “diadem,” an official headpiece worn by the anointed kings of Israel as a symbol of their holy office.—2 Sam. 1:10; 2 Ki. 11:12; 2 Chron. 23:11; Ps. 89:39; 132:18; Prov. 27:24.

When one took the Nazirite vow to Jehovah he was not to cut his hair or shave his beard as long as the vow was upon him. So his long hair became a crowning sign of his Naziriteship (neʹzer), (Num. 6:4-21) In personifying Jerusalem as one who had broken her sacred vows of holiness to Jehovah, the prophet Jeremiah exclaimed: “Shear off your uncut hair [niz·rekhʹ, a form a neʹzer, literally, “dedicated hair”] and throw it away.” (Jer. 7:29) By another prophet Jehovah describes how wayward Israel “went in to Baal of Peor, and they proceeded to dedicate themselves [yin·naz·ruʹ, a form of the verb na·zarʹ] to the shameful thing.”—Hos. 9:10.

In the Christian Greek Scriptures reference is made to certain dedicated things. The winter festival of dedication (eg·kaiʹni·a) is mentioned in connection with Jesus’ ministry. (John 10:22; see FESTIVAL OF DEDICATION.) This Greek word eg·kaiʹni·a is similar to eg·kai·niʹzo, which at Hebrews 9:18 is rendered “dedicated” by certain translations (AS, AV, Dy, Sp), but “inaugurated” by others. (CC, Mo, NEB,